


Hulk's Not-A-Puppy

by whiteraven1606



Series: Loosely Connected [16]
Category: Lilo & Stitch (2002), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Child Abuse, Gen, Implied Torture, Kid Fic, Mental Health Issues, Minor Canonical Character(s), Minor Character Death, Muteness, Protective Hulk, Protectiveness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-17
Updated: 2013-03-17
Packaged: 2017-12-05 13:18:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,794
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/723730
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whiteraven1606/pseuds/whiteraven1606
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hulk finds what he thinks is a Hulk-sized puppy. Everyone else, even Fury, keeps telling him: Not. A. Puppy. It is a wolf, a big, big wolf. The thing is, Hulk calls Fury 'Bubbles' while they argue about the puppy/wolf issue and, of course, the rest of Hulk's team wants to know why Bubbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hulk's Not-A-Puppy

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Twisted67](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Twisted67/gifts).



> This is due to a prompt from Twisted67 about Fenrir the wolf, son of Loki and wanting Hulk to try to adopt Fenrir and keep him. I decided to tie in some headcanon about Fury's stints as a social worker. 
> 
> I know I said no more in this series, but then more happened. This one references prior parts in the series more heavily.
> 
> There's a lot of references to child abuse, parents of main characters dying, and some graphic mentions of someone else's blood on a child. I tried to stick to movie canon and went with what I read and accept of canon from the comics. I made the rest up. Fury is longer lived than a normal person in the comics so, pretty please, don't get uptight that he's an adult (young, but adult) for the first of the social worker parts.

*****

There were days Fury wondered how he ended up where he was. Today that happened to be mothering the _Hulk_. Fury put his hands on his hips and frowned up at the Hulk. "I understand your position on this matter, Mr. Hulk, but you can not _keep_ a person as a pet even if the person is shaped like a wolf."

Hulk huffed and cuddled the wolf closer to his chest. "Hulk protect. Fe no want go home. No want parent. No Puny God. Hulk want Fe come home to Tower."

Fury clasped his hands behind his back. "Can you provide for Fe..." Fury glanced at Coulson.

"Fenrir, Boss."

Fury looked back to the Hulk. "Fenrir."

Hulk blinked. He turned towards the rest of the Avengers who were ringed around Thor, who was looking confused, which didn't help Fury's blood pressure in any way. "What provide?"

Stark flipped up his face plate. "He means food and housing. Hulk, what do you mean about Puny God?"

Fury watched Hulk scratch behind Fenrir's ear as he thought.

"Puny God lost Fe between."

Stark didn't even understand that one, Fury could tell. He pointed at the huge wolf watching them from over Hulk's arm. "Mr. Hulk, please let Fenrir explain."

Hulk growled low and leaned down to look Fury in the eye. "Bubbles not take Fe."

Fury blinked. "No, no, Mr. Bubbles will not take him away."

"Lie?" Hulk watched him and then turned towards Black Widow. "Bubbles lie?"

She raised her eyebrows and glanced at him before looking up at the Hulk. "No, he's not lying."

Hulk snorted and looked at Stark. "Red Lair no lie?"

Stark was frowning and staring intently at Fury. "She's not lying either. I've got to tell you though, Big Guy, I'm not paying to feed him. It's Thor's turn isn't it? I already pay for you, Thor, and Capsicle."

Mjolnir slipped from Thor's grasp to hit the ground next to his boot. "He is..." Thor moved closer to Hulk. "May I speak to Banner?"

Hulk gently sat down Fenrir behind himself and turned his head towards Fury. "Bubbles promise Hulk keep Fe?"

Fury nodded. "If at all possible. Yes, Hulk."

Hulk stared at him for several more seconds and then shrunk. The man that opened his eyes, wasn't Bruce. Fury had been briefed by Coulson about the differences. This green eyed man, Banner, was far more sure of himself than Bruce had ever appeared to be anywhere near SHEILD agents.

Banner checked on Fenrir and then looked at Thor. "Look, I don't know how it works. Loki is Fenrir's parent."

Thor drew a deep breathe. "He was expecting, then." Thor rubbed his hand over his face. "Father finds Loki's children to be...unwelcome."

Stark touched Thor's shoulder. "Do you?"

Thor shook his head. "They are my nephew...nephews and niece." He knelt down and leaned to one side so that he could see Fenrir where he was cowering behind Bruce. "I would have tried to help you if I'd known."

Fenrir kept tight to Banner's back. "You'd chain me. Everyone chains me."

Banner reached behind himself to pat Fenrir's flank. "I won't. Right, Mr. Bubbles?"

Fury narrowed his eye at Banner and then nodded once. "You remember me."

Banner nodded. "I do. Bruce doesn't. Thank you for being nice to us that week."

With a nod, Fury turned to Coulson. "Get transport that can handle the wolf to get him to Stark's Tower." He looked at Stark. "Quit complaining about the food bill or I'll start sending you the building repair bills."

Stark smiled his I'm-on-to-you smile. "Can do." He clomped past Thor to Banner's side. "Ready to be a foster parent, Brucey?"

Banner smiled, his very green eyes wide as he chuckled. "No, but then neither is anyone, really."

****

Fury watched them coax Fenrir into a transport as Coulson sidled up to his blind side. They watched Banner fade to Bruce, who wasn't entirely pleased that Fenrir wanted pressed to his side as Stark piled in with them, sans the armor.

"Bubbles, Boss?"

Fury could see Natasha standing close enough to hear. He sighed. "Former Director Carter thought it was funny."

Captain Roger's head wiped around. "Carter?"

Fury mentally cursed Peggy Carter for all he was worth as he moved towards the transport. "I will only tell the story once."

Stark beamed. "Awesome. JARVIS will have pizza there by the time we get home."

****

Fenrir liked pizza. It was different, hard to eat until Bruce had pulled the slice apart into bite size bits Fenrir could pick up one at a time. He watched this group of people that had rescued him on accident and then just accepted that he didn't have a home.

He flinched when the one with the bow had tried to touch his fur.

"Sorry, Fen."

Fenrir made himself lift his ears back up. "It is not your fault."

"I still didn't mean to scare you." He sat down a ways away from Fenrir's front paws. "I'm Clint."

Fenrir licked pizza off his muzzle. "Fenrir."

The calm man with the fake tail around his neck stepped close to Clint and held out another pizza. "More to eat, Mr. Fenrir?"

Fenrir lolled his tongue out if his mouth and scooted back a little into Bruce's side. "Hungry."

The calm man switched the pizza for the empty between Fenrir's paws. "I'm Agent Coulson of SHEILD. If you need anything and Bruce is not available you can ask me."

Fenrir blinked and tipped his ears forward as Coulson explained each person in the room. He had decided he liked them all and he didn't want to go back to chains so he memorized all the names for each person.

Then, the dark man with the single eye strode into the room and sat down with a sigh on the end of the soft sitting place across from Fenrir and Bruce. "Feeling better?"

Fenrir flapped an ear as he took another pizza bite. He swallowed and turned his head to stare at the Fury Bubbles. "I like this place."

****

Fury nodded at Fenrir's answer and looked around at the Avengers ranged around the room. "SHEILD agents sometimes moonlight as social workers or other children related jobs." He adjusted his half-finger gloves as he spoke. "Alises are typically not chosen by the agent themselves."

Stark snorted. "Admit it, you tried to be more badass with Bubbles for a name."

Fury let a corner of his mouth lift up. "You were a terror at four, you know that right?"

Stark smiled. "Sunglasses. I knew I knew that name. You were..." He made a wide gesture with his arms. "Huge to tiny little me." He leaned forward as the smirk dropped from his face. "Thanks, by the way. If I didn't say it then."

"You were busy being a scared kid. The hug was plenty of thanks, Stark."

Bruce frowned. "Wait. So you..." He blinked. "You did this more than once."

Fury shrugged. "I did it a lot as a low level agent. Weird or high profile situations that needed a specify type of person to handle it."

Captain Rogers leaned back in his seat. "Tell us about them?"

****

Nick mentally cursed as he pushed through the gathered police and other first responders. "Where's the child?"

The nearest police officer looked stricken. "We can't pry him off the body."

Nick nodded to the house. "Can I try?"

The officer waved his hand at the door. "Give it a try. They've pretty much decided we should just wait."

 _Oh, fuck that._ Nick entered the house, moved through the neat rooms until he got to the kitchen. He pressed his lips together at the blood and the broken body of Mrs. Banner on the title floor. The little boy hugging her body was crying from the hitching of his shoulders, his face pressed against her sweater.

Nick laid a firm hand on the boy's spine between his shoulder blades. "Bruce."

With a shake of his head, the boy hunched tighter to the body.

Nick kept his hand there and watched the boy cry some more. "She can't come back." He moved his hand up and stroked a thumb across Bruce's neck below his ear. "She would if she could, son."

Bruce started sobbing and turned to latch onto Nick's shirt. 

Grimacing because it was one of only three undamaged shirts he currently had, Nick lifted the boy up. He walked through the house until he found Bruce's room and then he sat down on Bruce's bed with Bruce smearing blood on his suit from where his legs had been in the blood pool.

"Do you have a favorite toy?"

Bruce nodded against Nick's chest and pointed at the head of the bed without lifting his head.

Nick pulled the pillowcase off the pillow and gently tucked the Captain America action figure into the case. "Second favorite?"

Bruce sniffed hard and turned his head towards the closet. He pointed and then tucked himself as tight against Nick as he could.

"Alright. You want to come with me?"

Bruce shook his head.

Nick gently pushed Bruce off his lap onto the bed. "Wait here, alright?" He cracked the closet door and frowned at the little nest of blankets on the closet floor and a green teddy bear tucked in like it was taking a nap. Nick got that and cradled it like a baby as he brought it to the bed.

A few more toys and several books pointed out to him and Nick lifted Bruce up again, headless of the blood now that his suit was dirty. Nick settled Bruce into the back of his rental and looked back to the house.

"Would you like something of your Mother's?"

Bruce started to cry again, silent and shaking.

Nick patted him on the shoulder. "Stay here. I'll find something you can keep."

Nick went back in and headed for the other bedroom in the small house. He found the jewelry box were he would have expected it to be. He picked two necklaces he'd seen in the pictures along the hallway wall. Then he picked up a sweater from the floor that was too small to be the father's and too big to be Bruce's.

He told a nearby officer what he'd taken and headed back out to the car.

Bruce was still in the back seat, clutching the seatbelt and still sobbing. Nick tucked the jewelry into the pillowcase and then slipped the sweater over the boy's head.

Bruce buried his face in the fabric and held still while Nick got his arms through the armholes. Bruce wrapped himself around Nick's shoulder and neck. "T'anks."

"No problem, little man." He hugged back, crouched in a position that hurt like hell until Bruce went limp in sleep.

****

Bruce stared at Fury. "I kept them all until..." He looked down at his hands. "Thank you."

Fury smiled. "You're welcome, Doctor."

Stark looked around at the pensive faces of his teammates. Then he looked at Fury. "Tell mine next."

****

Nick had filled out more in the last year and his suit was getting tight across the shoulders so he took it off and loosened his tie as he was approached by the scene commander. "Do we know anything?"

"Other than Mr. Stark says not to negotiate and the hostage takers are threatening to kill the kid now that he's injured one of them? Nothing much." The officer pointed at the warehouse. "There's no way in that can't be seen from their position at the top of the warehouse in that office."

Nick rolled up his sleeves carefully. "I thought the young Stark was four."

"He is four. Evidently he can still wire a 110 volt wire to a door handle and shock someone."

Nick glanced over at the warehouse and nodded. "Impressive."

"Yeah. Stark says he'll pay the original ransom, but the captors upped the price and we're in a stalemate."

Nick looked around at the mess of police surrounding the place. Howard Stark and Director Carter were fighting, but the Director had a soft spot for Stark's boy. Nick moved over to the little tent that had been set up for operations.

Howard Stark was yelling when he got there. "I don't care! I want my boy safe."

"Mr. Stark."

Howard whirled and glared at Nick. "What the hell do you want?"

"Your boy safe." Nick stepped up to the table and studied the blueprints spread across the table. "I'm...Bubbles." He fingered an access tunnel that ran under the warehouse along one side.

"Bubbles? You've got to be kidding me."

Nick looked up and glared his best death glare. "Sir..."

Howard didn't seem fazed. "They have my kid, don't 'sir' me like that."

Nick nodded. "Of course." He turned and headed out, ignoring the shouting behind him.

Popping the lock on the access tunnel wasn't hard. Getting clear to the boy without alerting the hostiles to his presence was another matter. Nick checked the hallway and identified the door he needed.

He ghosted down the hallway and knocked lightly on the door.

"Password?"

Nick raised his eyebrows even as he smiled. The boy sounded good. "Open sesame."

"Nope." There was rustling and then Nick saw a tiny bit of movement at a...hole, the boy had a pin hole near the edge of the door. 

Nick knelt down and glanced down the hallway as he did so. "Mr. Stark, I've been sent to retrive you."

The boy's eye looked him up and down before trading for the other eye. "Dad would give you the password."

"He was too upset." Nick heard a door hinge squall down the hall and around the corner. "We have to go now. Back away from the door."

The boy's eye disappeared and Nick stood up, kicking the door just inside the doorknob, breaking the door and leaving the knob with the lock. Uh, it had been wired. Smart kid.

Nick ducked the whatever thing the boy had just thrown at him and scooped the kid up into his arms. He took the handgun from the boy as the boy pulled it from the underarm harness Nick kept it in when he was in a suit.

"That is mine, Mr. Stark."

The boy kicked him in the kidney. It was a good solid blow for a four year old. "Don't call me that. That's Dad. I'm Tony."

Nick leaned out the doorway and shot a hostile as he came charging around the corner. "Well, Tony...could you please tuck your face against me?"

"Nope." Tony clung tighter. "You can let go of me. I'm good."

Nick took the boy at his word and used his newly freed hand to pull the stairway door closed behind him as he retreated. He fled down the stairs fast as the police outside swarmed into the warehouse because of the gunfire. "You alright?"

Tony gasped as Nick dropped the last half-flight to land at the access door he'd propped open on his way in. "Fine. Why don't you know the password?"

"What is the password?"

"I can't tell you."

Nick tucked his weapon back into the holster. "Don't touch my weapon, please."

Tony nodded against his shoulder. "Yeah. Sorry. I don't like when people take my stuff either."

Nick emerged into the parking lot between the warehouses and headed for the command tent. He found an older man looking pale standing in the entrance of the tent.

Tony leaned away from him in a quick lunge towards the man. "Jarvis!"

Jarvis gently took Tony from Nick. "Master Tony. Are you alright?"

Tony grinned and pointed at Nick. "He kicked in my booty-trapped door."

"Booby-trapped."

"That's what I said." Tony leaned up and 'whispered' in Jarvis' ear. It was loud enough for the whole tent to hear. "Why doesn't he know the password?"

"I fear I wasn't here to make sure he got it before going to retrive you."

"Oh." Tony turned to Nick. "Maybe you should know for later, huh?"

Nick looked to Jarvis, who shrugged. 

"Red cucumber."

Tony giggled and then hid his face in Jarvis' shoulder as people poured into the tent. Howard Stark was among them and he grabbed up Tony from Jarvis and held him tightly.

"Tony."

Tony patted Mr. Stark's arm. "I'm fine." He waved at Nick. "He came and got me. Broke my booby-trap."

Stark held Tony out at arm length and shook him a little. "What were you thinking?"

Tony started to cry and began wiggling.

Stark tried to pull him back into a hug, but Tony was having none of that, and he kicked free of Stark's hold. Tony ran out of the tent before anyone could get a hand on him.

Nick followed, leaving a cussing Stark behind him with Jarvis trying to clam the man down. Nick scanned the area and crouched down to look under the cars. He walked over to his rental and leaned against the side of the car. "Red cucumber?"

Tony wiggled until his head poked out from under the car. "What did I do wrong?"

Nick sighed and sat down on the ground as he waved away the police officers that were approaching. "You didn't do anything wrong, kiddo."

Tony sniffed. "Dad only shakes me when he's really mad."

"He wasn't mad at you. He's mad at himself because you were hurt."

"I'm not hurt."

Nick looked down at him. "Why is that your password?"

"I like red. It's an awesome color." Tony turned over and propped himself up by his elbows and solemnly watched the men being bundled into the police cars in handcuffs. "Cucumbers don't come in red."

"Ah." Nick nodded and held out his card. "If you ever get taken again. Or your Dad shakes you, no matter what you did. Call me." 

Tony looked at the card and shook his head. "I don't like being handed things. Can you give it to Jarvis, instead?"

Nick watched Jarvis head for them from the tent. "Yes, I'll do that."

****

Fenrir sniffed and dropped his ears slightly at all the anger in the air. "Why did people take you?"

Tony shrugged his shoulders and got up, moving to a low wall across the room. He poured a sharp smelling liquid into a glass before drinking it in a few gulps. "They wanted my father to do things for them."

Fenrir shifted and let his back leg moved out from under himself until it was stretched almost off the soft sitting place. "Did it make him bad to do things for them?"

Tony glanced at Bruce and then looked Fenrir in the eyes. "No, it didn't. That's called coercion and he didn't want to be forced into those things because it would hurt more people than just me."

Fenrir thought of his father being hauled away from him, both of them in chains.

Fury got up and took the glass from Tony. "Got sit down, Stark. I'm not done telling my tales of woe."

"Woe? I take offense to that." Tony came over and flopped down at Bruce's feet. He touched Fenrir's back paw for a second before pulling his hand back. "I do not cause woe."

Fury smirked and smiled at them over Tony's head as he moved back to his seat. "Right and we all believe that, Stark."

****

Nick frowned down at his knuckles. "Is this really necessary, Director."

She looked at him over the tops of her glasses. "Do I need to remind you what happened when Stark noticed you last week?"

"No." Nick tucked his hand behind his back and looked down at the file she'd opened and sat in front of him. "Aliens." He looked at her. "We're sure?"

She sighed. "Looks like it. You're CIA if anyone asks. I really don't want to admit to SHEILD existing if we don't have to."

He nodded and stood up. "Understood, Boss."

Getting on site was simple. Dealing with the problem...Not so much. The aliens had a translation system that allowed for communications, but they were determined to blow up the planet for a hyperspace bypass.

Nick frowned as he stared up at the tall...lady, maybe, alien. "Ma'am, I understand your position, but if you were to blow up the planet you will be killing all the..." He racked his brain. They didn't care about humans enough for that to work...something that wouldn't be eradicated anytime soon that he could stand to argue for the existence of...Ah. "Mosquitoes."

"The what?"

Nick moved towards the nearby lake. If he could find one, but not too many. "They are an endangered species."

There was a little boy looking at rocks near the water's edge. Nick looked up and down the shoreline, but didn't see anyone to go with the child.

Nick would have retreated, but it was too late as the boy looked up.

"Oh." He stood up and the Captain America shirt he was wearing fell clear to his knees. "Wow." He came closer.

Nick crouched down. "Have you seen any mosquitoes?"

The boy frowned and looked up at the alien. "No. They're not doing good this year. Dad sprayed..."

Nick spoke right over top of the kid as he turned towards the alien. "Trying to boost them. They are going to die out if we don't help attract them to us. We're their main food source."

The boy blinked and looked from the alien to Nick and back again. He made a circle motion with his fingers. "They are seen in places over most of the planet." He picked up a makeshift Captain America shield from the ground. "Are you an alien?"

She, Nick was pretty sure at this point about that, knelt down. "Yes."

"Are you here to kill us?"

"No?"

The boy hefted his shield. "I'll stop you if you are. I know all the soft spots on people. You've got joints so you've got soft spots too."

Nick gently pushed the boy behind himself. "We'll defend the mosquitoes as best we can, Ma'am."

She blinked, stood, and looked around. "Very well. I'll talk to my superiors." She ghosted her hand over the hair on his head. "We'll be in touch."

Nick kept himself between her and the boy until the ship had taken off.

"Cool." The boy slipped from Nick's hold. "Why were you lying to her?"

"So she wouldn't blow up the planet." He looked around for family for the boy again. "Are you lost?"

The boy gave him a look. "No, I know right were I am. Are you lost?"

Nick straightened his cuffs. "No."

"That's good." The boy pointed across the small lake. "Dad will be mad if I'm not home by dinner." He looked up at Nick. "Can I know your name?"

"Cobra Bubbles, CIA." He handed the boy his card. "If the aliens come back, please call me."

The boy snorted as he took the card. "That's a horrible alis. Just saying."

"PHIL!"

The boy grimaced. "I have to go now. Good luck on saving the world."

Nick watched him go and waved when Phil stopped part way around the lake to wave back at him.

****

"You had _hair_?"

Fury glared down his nose at Stark. "Shut up. I'm not done yet."

****

Nick rubbed his hand over his newly bald head. It had been easier to just shave it after that last operation that had caught him with the blast radius of an incendiary grenade. Just a few days, the Director said. It'll do you good, the Director said. _Right and I'd really rather deal with aliens._

The car crash was horrific. There was frantic work on the car mostly crushed under a semi-tractor trailer as emergency workers tried to save the occupant. 

Nick settled next to a little huddle of blanket on a gurney. "They'll get him out."

The bundle sniffed and a tiny hand came out to touch the back of Nick's hand. "Letters."

"Yes." Nick held his hand so the kid could see it better.

"C."

"Yes, that's a C." He watched the firefighters trying to wench the truck up to relive the pressure on the car.

"Clint."

"Pleased to meet you, Clint. I'm Cobra Bubbles."

Clint giggled. "Bubbles."

"Yes, Bubbles." Nick caught Clint as he started to turn at the loud pop of the roof being pried back. "No, Clint. Don't look right now."

Clint pressed his hands together. "Mommy was sleeping. Did she wake up yet?"

"No, Clint." Nick fingered the boy's hair. "Mommy and Daddy are going to be sleeping for a long time. I'm sorry about that."

Clint looked up at him and blinked slowly. "I don't think Mommy is sleeping."

Nick started to say something as a cheer went up. They rushed the second boy over and settled him next to Clint.

"Barney!" Clint wrapped himself around his brother as Barney cried silently.

Nick helped support Barney as his broken leg was checked over by the EMT. Clint started to bawl when Barney kept crying.

Nick gently separated them and tucked Clint against his side as he stood so they could put Barney and the gurney in the ambulance. He gave one last look to the car where the parents had been crushed to death before climbing up into the ambulance with Barney.

Nick filled out forms at the hospital as he waited for a determination on where they were placing the boys. He'd recommended they keep the two together if possible. Clint was Barney's shadow. They'd even had to put a thin cast on Clint's leg to match his brother.

****

Clint stared at Fury. "I don't remember you at all."

Fury shrugged. "There's no reason you should. You were, what...four?"

"Five." He touched his knee. "I remember the cast. The foster parents we started with. I even remember the shock blanket I carried around for months." Clint jerked his thumb at Natasha. "You have a story for her, too?"

Fury smiled at her. "Not directly."

****

Nick watched Lilo and Stitch chasing each other across the lawn. "You've done well, Nani."

She smiled at him. "Thanks...Mr. Bubbles." She grinned and leaned on the new railing around the porch. "Is that really your name?"

"No." He sat down on the steps and waited for Lilo to hurry over with Stitch. "Hello, Lilo. Stitch."

"Mr. Bubbles! Stitch said that Jumba would bring me a hover scooter for Christmas if you said it was okay." She climbed right up into his lap. "Please?"

Nick pretended to think about it. "As long as you don't let everyone on the island see them."

"Yippee!" She jumped down from his lap and hurried up the stairs to Nani. "Did you hear?"

"I did. Go in and get the present you and Stitch made for Mr. Bubbles."

"Oh. Right." Lilo hurried off.

Nick looked up at Nani as Stitch came over. "Do I want to know?"

Nani waggled her hand. "It isn't...bad."

Stitch stopped at the bottom of the steps. "Hi."

"Hello, Stitch." Nick took off his sunglasses. "Can you handle cold temperatures?"

" _Ih._ "

Nick nodded. "I'd like to borrow you for a few days. You can't bring Lilo, though."

Lilo reappeared with a messily wrapped present. "Here." She panted as she held it out to him. "Stitch and me made it for you."

Nick took it and carefully unwrapped it to find a pair of sunglasses with...stuff attached. He slipped them on and smiled at Lilo. "I love them."

She smiled wide and turned towards Stitch. "I told you."

Stitch was watching him, his ears twitching. "Borrow Stitch?"

"What?" Lilo looked from Stitch to Nick and back. "What do you mean?"

Nick took the rhinestone covered sunglasses back off. "There is a hospital in Russia that is training little girls, some are your age, Lilo. The girls need rescued, but I need help because there's a wall and bad men. Stitch is fast and very strong..."

Lilo held up her hand. "Let me talk to Stitch." She grabbed Stitch's topmost left side hand and pulled him away into the yard.

Nani sat down next to Nick. "Spies or assassins or something like that?"

"All of the above." Nick cracked his neck and resettled his shoulders. "There's a lot of firepower and my agency can't send in the amount of human agents we'd need to crack it open. We're also afraid they'd just start killing the girls."

"Oh." Nani folded her hands in her lap. "You think Stitch will follow your orders?"

"He's smart and capable." Nick watched Lilo and Stitch hug. "I promise he won't end up in deep water."

Nani touched his forearm. "He'd better not. How long?"

"A week at the most."

"If I tell her that, you have to stick to it."

"I know." Nick stood.

****

Fury looked at Natasha. "You were nearly out of the program as it was." He looked at Bruce. "Stitch is rather like a small Hulk. He is incredibly strong, fast, and nothing hurts him for long."

Natasha stared at him. "The little mutant dog?"

Fury smiled. "Yes. If he pulls in his middle arms he looks rather like a dog with kangaroo ears."

"I thought he was a hallucination." She tugged on a lock of her hair. "That fire killed them..." She narrowed her eyes at him. "Where are they?"

Fury smiled slightly. "Scattered across the world. I thought about trying to tell you once you came on with SHIELD, but you were having trust issues as it was."

"I want locations."

"Of course." Fury looked at Fenrir. "Would you tell me your story?"

Fenrir flapped his ears and then pushed his butt tighter against Bruce's hip. "If I do so can I stay here where there are no chains?"

Fury nodded. "I'll make sure of it, yes."

****

Fenrir strained against his chains as the not-men hauled his father away. He was too weak to walk on his own. Fenrir howled, trying to get them to bring him back.

They had taken his mother long ago and never brought her back. Fenrir strained against the chains that bound him.

He finally had to lay still, panting. He'd pulled out bits of fur in his struggles. Time in the between was not measured in a way Fenrir could explain. He watched the realms float by until the rip appeared and the not-men poured through.

Fenrir watched as the not-men transport came apart in the rip. He stood, straining against his chains to see if his father was coming through the rip to come back to him.

There was a small manshape that came through the rip with a light on his back. The light kept going as the manshape fell back towards the rip. Fenrir watched the light bloom bright and big.

He lost track of the manshape as the light engulfed him and his chains.

Fenrir woke to a new weird realm. It was green little spikes that bent under him and bright blue above. Fenrir whined and tried to drag himself into the safety of the trees nearby. His chains weighed him down and Fenrir was stuck in the open.

The not-men would come and take him to the rip. He'd be lost again. Fenrir grew hungry. The water that fell from the sky kept his thirst at bay, but the hunger nawed at him.

No one came. Fenrir howled and scratched at the ground around the chains. He finally laid down, curled as best he could.

Fenrir waited to die. It was better than the things the not-men had done to him. At least if they did not come he would not go back to the between. He would not have to watch them make Father go away and his vacant body hurt Fenrir with an extra long length of chain.

Then came a man. Smelly and mean the man tried to shot Fenrir with a small weapon. It stung and Fenrir snarled at the man. Soon there were more men and not-wolves that bit at him. Fenrir howled and fought, growling, snapping, and so great was his hunger that he ate anything he could bite.

Later when the men had learned to be more careful and the not-wolves had to be prodded into attacking him, Fenrir heard a great roar in the distance. He listened to the roar as it happened again. And then again.

Fenrir lifted his head and listened to another roar sound. It was closer. Maybe it was coming for him. Fenrir forced himself up and he howled his rage to the roar.

The men around him started talking, shouting as there was a mighty crash near him. Fenrir tried to turn, but he was caught in his chains now.

"Oh. Puppy." There was a giant green hand near and Fenrir snapped at it on reflex. The hand pulled back, but didn't hit him. "Puppy need help?"

Fenrir lolled his head and looked at the huge green man. "Help?"

The green man smiled with his teeth. "Hulk help." He looked around and glared at the fleeing men. "Hulk be right back."

Fenrir whined as the giant, the Hulk went away. "No!" He thrashed in his chains trying to get the Hulk back. "Help!"

Hulk reappeared in Fenrir's line of sight and he gently held Fenrir's muzzle. "Puppy hold still. Hulk fix."

There was a whoosh noise and then the menshape Fenrir remembered from the bright light landed next to them. "Hey, Hulk. What's...shit. That's one huge wolf."

Hulk snapped Fenrir's chains and started untangling them from around Fenrir's body. "Puppy. Hulk keep puppy."

"Oh. Uh, no. Not a puppy."

"Puppy, Spaceman."

"That is really, really, not a puppy, Hulk. I'm telling you...Not. A. Puppy."

Hulk winked at Fenrir and snapped the collar around his neck clean off without hurting Fenrir at all. "Hulk like puppy. He talks."

"What?" Spaceman clomped closer and Fenrir rolled trying to get away, but he was weak and so tired.

Hulk gently picked him up and cradled him close. "Hulk protect Puppy."

Spaceman half-turned away from them. "Well, what exactly do you want me to tell him? That a wolf three times the normal size can't possibly talk and there must be a logical reason the chains on him end at the ground with no tie down stake?"

Fenrir gazed up as the Hulk looked down at him. "Thank you."

Spaceman froze. "Oh, and, just so you know, the wolf really does talk. I'm looking at knot work on the chain. I need Thor to look at this."

"Noooo." Fenrir tried to get free. "Thor will kill me."

Spaceman's face flipped up and there was a man face underneath. "What? No, Thor, I don't know why he thinks that. Hang on. Everyone just...J, mute my comms. Jeez." Spaceman came closer. "Hi. I'm Tony. You have a name?"

Hulk growled. "Hulk protect Puppy from TooLoud Hair." He bounded away.

Fenrir watched the ground rush close and away over and over. Spaceman trailed them, but didn't come closer. Fenrir curled tight when Hulk landed them at a place with lots of men.

Hulk sat down next to squares on the ground. "Hulk wait for Team. We eat dinner all together. Hulk even put up with TooLoud Hair."

Fenrir watched the men watch them. "Eat me?"

"No." Hulk huffed as Spaceman dropped to land in front of them. "Puppy hungry."

The inside face reappeared as Spaceman's first face flipped up. "That's great, Big Guy, but you know Lambert's really likes a heads up when we're coming so they can make all the extra rolls for you to catch. We promised to wait until Batsy and Logan got back from Italy to vist again, remember?"

Nodding, Hulk stopped with a snort. "Puppy hungry. Think we eat him."

"Yuck." Spaceman came closer. "We aren't going to eat you. What's your name?"

"Fenrir."

Hulk frowned. "Fenr-ur." He settled Fenrir in his lap. "Fenir." He sighed. "Fe?"

Fenrir blinked and flipped his ears forward as Spaceman smiled without his teeth showing. "Okay."

Hulk looked to Spaceman. "Hungry?"

"We will have to get it to go, Big Guy. We'll let you catch rolls next time, alright?"

Hulk nodded. "Hulk can wait."

"Awesome."

Hulk petted Fenrir as Spaceman went up near all the men. "Good, Fe." 

It made Fenrir want to rub against the hand stroking down his back. "Don't take me back. Please, don't make me go back home."

Hulk huddled down close to him, surrounding him. "Hulk protect Fe."

Fenrir rubbed his cheek against the underside of Hulk's chin and spoke more quietly. "You won't take me to my parents? They hurt me before they were taken away."

"Hulk not know parent. If know, Hulk keep Fe away."

Fenrir didn't know his mother's name. No one had said. "Loki is my father's name. He was...not him when he hurt me, but I still don't want him near me."

Hulk stroked under Fenrir's chin. "Hulk _hate_ Puny God. Hulk no let anyone make Fe go. Keep Fe safe with Hulk."

Fenrir sighed and let himself drift as Hulk started humming something.

****

Thor knelt and showed his empty hands to his nephew. "I am grieved you have been mistreated. I did not know of your existence. I would have freed you had I known." Thor kept one eye on Fenrir's ears and another on Bruce watching him closely. "I will find who made the chains and I will see justice done for you."

Fenrir kept moving his ears as he watched Thor with sleepy eyes. "You will not kill me? Thanos' servants said you would think me a mindless beast."

"I do not know this Thanos, but I assure you, nephew, I do not think you a mindless beast."

Thor reached out and touched the tip of his finger to the tip of the claw on Fenrir's front paw. "I will help Hulk protect you, Fenrir. This I swear."

****

Phil Coulson kept pace with Director Fury's long strides with the ease of long practice. "Why give them that much knowledge, Boss?"

Fury stopped at the edge of Stark's roof as they waited for the quintjet to arrive. "It helps them forgive me for lying about you."

Phil stepped up beside Fury on his blind side. "It doesn't let you off the hook. Those were _my_ trading cards."

Fury half-turned, smiled, and turned back to the front. "You should come by my office."

Phil didn't outwardly react, but inside he started to wonder. "Is now a good time, Boss?"

"A good a time as any." They boarded the quinjet as it hovered. Fury settled against one wall and strapped himself in. He didn't like aircraft that wasn't a Hellicarrier or a helo that wasn't falling out of the sky.

Phil busied himself with paperwork on his screen as they flew towards the Hellicarrier. When they landed he trailed Fury all the way in to his office.

Fury ushered him to sit and that was novel so Phil sat as Fury closed and locked his door. He went over to a panel and activated a catch release with his thumb.

"How many times did we met while you were a child?"

"Once." Phil stiffened his spine as Fury tapped in a code on the secondary panel door inside the first. "Why?"

"I kept track of my charges. Even you. A child that calm with _aliens_ needs watched over."

Phil cocked his head as Fury triggered another panel door inside the second one. "She wasn't very scary. Tall, but really thin."

"And nearly the first thing you do is threaten her."

Phil shrugged. "I'm good at that."

Fury turned his head to smile at Phil, as he pulled a box out. It was one of their most protective cases, it supposedly could withstand the Hellicarrier crashing and burning without loss of the contents. Fury sat it on the edge of his desk just in front of Phil.

Phil watched Fury trigger three locks in a row to get the case open. "You tracked them all?"

"I admit I lost Romanoff. I had to get Stitch home before Nani killed me." Fury looked into the case and lifted out a folded shirt. "This is yours."

Phil took the shirt and let it drop open. His favorite Captain America shirt that his father had thrown away once when he trying to break Phil's love for the Captain. "Oh."

Fury reached back in. "If you could make sure they all get what belongs to them back. If they don't want it you will bring it back to me."

Phil watched him pull out a green teddy bear. "Not a problem, Boss."

****


End file.
